New Redondo Beach middle school music teacher looks forward after controversy

In the band room at Parras Middle School in Redondo Beach, a teacher stood in front of the young musicians, baton in hand, ready to conduct a rendition of Queen's "We Will Rock You."

The kids looked happy and engaged, and the teacher seemed committed to giving them the best possible music education he could provide.

It was exactly the type of scene that parents and students said they wanted when they staged a protest outside district headquarters in June, only with a different teacher.

At the end of the school year, they were protesting what they said was the forced resignation of Scott Sutherland, who had led the Parras band program to award-winning heights.

The new band teacher, the one standing in front of those students last week, didn't know about the controversy when he applied for the position. Greg Erskine only learned about it after he was offered the job.

"I read a blog and articles on the Internet about what had happened," he said. "I think I only got about two hours of sleep that night. I was very interested in what everyone said about the former teacher. I was also very impressed by how well the students wrote and expressed themselves."

Erskine had been teaching music in Lake Elsinore, a 150-mile daily round trip from his home in Long Beach. He applied for the Parras position so he could spend less time driving and more time teaching, but the controversy gave him a lot to think about.

"I'm glad I didn't know when I first applied," he said. "It was a little scary. I wondered if they were going to be inviting of a new teacher. But I decided I really wanted good things for these students, and I thought I could help them."

Judging by the first three weeks of school, Erskine said his fears were unfounded.

"I couldn't be happier with how it's gone," he said. "I'm looking forward to carrying on the excellent program here."

Erskine, 29, holds a bachelor's degree in music education from Lawrence University in Wisconsin and a master's degree in classical percussion from Cal State Long Beach. He was one of five finalists for the band teacher position interviewed by a panel that included administrators, parents and students.

Parent Marian Klausen, who has a son in the band program and served on the interview panel, said they were all highly qualified candidates.

"It was a real team process," she said. "We all felt we made the best selection. My son is extremely happy with Mr. Erskine and the music he has given him. He is carrying on the high quality of the music program."

The band teacher position came open at the end of the last school year when Sutherland, the former teacher, claimed in a blog post that he was forced to resign after sending an email to the school principal and other staffers complaining that arrangements were not made to make a band shell available to improve the acoustics at a holiday concert.

Sutherland, who was in his second year with the district and had not yet qualified for tenure, wrote in the original blog post that administrators deemed his email "too aggressive." He said he apologized but still received a "needs improvement" rating in his employee evaluation.

He claimed that the rating gave him only two options, to resign or be fired. He chose to resign, he said.

Sutherland's resignation prompted a flood of complaints to district officials, with students delivering letters of protest and parents buying a tribute ad for Sutherland in The Beach Reporter, a sister publication to the Daily Breeze. The protest came to a head in an emotional school board meeting during which more than a dozen students spoke, each asking that Sutherland be given a second chance.

After hearing from the students, board Vice President Laura Emdee read a prepared statement sympathizing with their frustrations but emphasizing that the district could not comment on situations pertaining to confidential personnel information.

The board members said they were committed to involving parents and students in refilling the position. This week, the district would not comment on whether Sutherland applied.

Contacted by a reporter, Sutherland said he would consider making a comment on the situation but did not respond before press time.

Parras Principal Lars Nygren said that Erskine has reached out to students and parents to be responsive to their concerns about the program.

"Since school has started, Mr. Erskine's priority has been to communicate with our students and parent community about his teaching philosophy and what he has to offer to our students," Nygren said. "His openness to meet with parents and to work with our band students has made for a smooth transition."

Lisa Agabian, one of many parents who were vocal supporters of Sutherland, said that she "hasn't heard any negatives" about Erskine.

"I didn't like how the whole thing went down," she said, "but it's not his (Erskine's) fault. He's a good guy and seems very committed."

Klausen, the band parent who served on the interview panel, said that the situation ultimately led to good communication among parents, students and the district.

"It was a good example of parents having input in a school," she said. "The district was thoughtful about who they included in the process. I was glad to have been a part of it and I was glad for the kids to be given an opportunity to appreciate what goes into the hiring of someone."

Ultimately, the concern that parents and students showed for the band program helped Erskine decide that Parras was the place for him.

"I couldn't be happier with being here," he said. "I'm just looking forward to carrying a great program forward."

He is already busy doing that, teaching five periods of band and prepping for the students' first performance, a "spooktacular" concert Oct. 30 that will feature Halloween-theme music.